When Ishmael returns to the inn, he finds the doors of his room
locked from the inside. Since Ishmael does not wish to disturb
Queequeg’s day of fasting - the Ramadan--he decides to wait.
For Queequeg, it is an auspicious day. When Ishmael left the inn
that morning, Queequeg had been kneeling before his idol -
Yojo, and he seemed to be in a trance.

Ishmael waits for Queequeg to break his fast and open the door,
but when evening arrives, there is still no sign of the door
opening. Ishmael wonders if Queequeg has collapsed due to
exhaustion. He calls for the innkeeper’s wife Mrs. Hussey who
peers through the keyholes of the locked doors. She thinks that
Queequeg has committed suicide, despite the sign - ‘No
suicides’ she has put up. By now, Ishmael cannot take it
anymore, so he forces the door open, only to find Queequeg
sitting calmly, still praying in his kneeling position. Despite
Ismael’s attempts to pull Queequeg out of his trance, he
continues to sit before the idol. It is only the following morning
that Queequeg gets up and greets Ishmael. Ishmael is rather
annoyed by now. He tells Queequeg that though he has nothing
against fasting, sitting in a trance throughout the day and a night
can be harmful. But Queequeg does not understand. Finally, after
breakfast, both the friends go to the Pequod to get Queequeg
enlisted.

At first, Ishmael finds it a bit difficult to convince them that Queequeg
is not a cannibal, but has become a Christian. When Captain Peleg asks
for the papers, Ishmael does not have any papers as proof. Instead he
tells Peleg that Queequeg is the member of the greater Church to which
all human beings belong. This seems to convince both Captain Peleg and
Bildad. Moreover, when they learn what a fine harpooner Queequeg is, they
are very happy. Queequeg is accepted and signed for the voyage.

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On their way back to the inn, Ishmael and Queequeg meet a
stranger with a pockmarked face. He asks them if they have
signed up for the voyage on Pequod. He also inquires about the
Captain. When Ishmael tells him that he has heard that he (Ahab)
is an able one, Elijah asks him if he (Ishmael) has heard the other
things about the Captain Ishmael finds all these questions as well
as the stranger’s behavior odd. The man says his name is Elijah.
Furthermore, he tells Ishmael that it is a tragedy that they have
both signed onto the Pequod for a voyage and that may God have
mercy on them. Ishmael becomes very uneasy and both he and
Queequeg try to brush him aside and walk away. The stranger
follows them for a while and then disappears. Though a bit
rattled by the stranger’s words, Ishmael is convinced that Elijah
is nothing but a ‘humbug’.

Notes

In the ‘Ramadan’ chapter, the subject of religion is once again
brought up. But now it has to do with Queequeg’s religion which
requires him to fast all day. The author reveals that his views on
religious practices are critical of religious practices that may do
more harm than good to men. However, at the same time,
Ishmael is fearful of what Queequeg’s propensity for extreme
religious rites may do to him, he also defends him to the captains
as a man who belongs to the greater religious order that is
concerned with moral issues of right and wrong.

In chapter 19, the author creates a mood of impending doom
using the mysterious Elijah. Once again, without even having
met Ahab yet, Ishmael gets a sense of foreboding about the
journey that he is about to embark on. Yet he cannot resist going
on board the ship despite the evidence gathering that it may not
go well.

The reader also learns about Ahab, the brave and humane captain
of the ship. He was once someone who was overly concerned
with humanity. However since his leg was severed by the whale
he has become narrow-minded and cynical. This change in his
attitude about life will greatly affect what occurs on the Pequod.